An unnamed theater manager revealed to WeChat media account “D-entertainment” that local police departments in several Chinese cities have sent police officers to some screenings of Feng Xiaogang’s latest movie ‘Youth’ in order to monitor audiences’ reaction to certain scenes in the film. ‘Youth’ tells the coming-of-age story of members of a so-called military cultural troupe and directly touches upon the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979 for the first time in the history of Chinese cinema. In addition to the demonstration of the war, the film also depicts life situations of veterans after the war, which might have made the government nervous about reactions from the audience. Read more on D-entertainment

Heartwarming American Drama Film ‘Wonder’ has scored a January 19 China release, according to an official poster of the film released today. Adapted from the New York Times bestseller of the same name, ‘Wonder’ tells the story of a boy with facial differences who attends a mainstream elementary school for the first time. The film has been receiving tremendous positive reviews in North America and is rated 8.1/10 on IMDb. A January release during winter break in China suits well with the film’s family-friendly theme. Read more on Mtime

Huayi Brothers’ ‘Youth’-Related Theme Park Has Become a Hit

Along with the theatrical opening of Feng Xiaogang’s ‘Youth,’ a theme park dubbed as “Youth Yard” (“芳华小院“）has recently become a hot tourist attraction in China. “Youth Yard” is a movie set built by Huayi Brothers with 35 million yuan ($5.3 million) for director Feng Xiaogang to shoot his period drama ‘Youth.’ This theme park is the latest demonstration of Huayi Brothers’ efforts in expanding in the theme park sector. According to Huayi Brothers CEO Wang Zhonglei, the company has launched 20 theme park construction projects since 2011, and up to three of the parks are expected to open in 2018. Read more on Ent Group

‘Suburbicon,’ a 2017 American crime thriller film, may be imported into China for a theatrical run in near future, according to sources familiar with the matter. Written by George Clooney, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen, the film is set in the 1950s and centers around a quiet family neighborhood that is shaken by a home invasion. Read more on Toutiao

China Film Insider reports on and writes about the people and companies making movies that soon may help to bridge the gaps in understanding between China, the United States, and the rest of the world. We work in Beijing, Los Angeles, and New York.